Christmastime is a wonderful season of joy, celebration, time spent with family, yummy food and weight gain.     

Oh yes: we are all too familiar with this unfortunate consequence of the holidays. It’s that time of year where we indulge ourselves in all the sweets, hearty meals and junk foods we can gets our hands on. And who are we to blame — when our mom’s in the kitchen baking Christmas cookies, a ham is roasting in the oven and endless snacks are just sitting in the pantry waiting to be devoured, how can we resist?    

Of course we will eat sweets and have lots of delicious, unhealthy meals; it’s simply a result of being back home and celebrating the season with family and friends. However, in the times where we aren’t gathered around a table with our cousins or stuffing our faces with chocolate from our Secret Santa, here are some simple ideas for eating healthy and avoiding that "Winter Weight."

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Drink smoothies.

Invest in a Nutribullet or a blender if you don’t already have one. I use my Nutribullet almost every day. It’s the best way to get all the nutrients you need, and if you make it right, it can taste really good. I typically throw in a cup of spinach, two handfuls of strawberries, one banana, nuts, a cup of water, and a little cacao — it’s awesome for breakfast or a big snack.   

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Eat mason jar salads.

Check these out. You can make several of them all at once at the beginning of the week so that they will be ready for you to have on-hand for lunch each day. It’s super easy and makes you feel way too hipster for your own good.

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Make your own granola.

Some friends of mine introduced me to a great homemade granola recipe this semester. That way, you know exactly what is in your granola and can avoid the high-sugar granola bars from the store. These ones are easy to make, include minimal ingredients and taste delicious. I typically eat one for breakfast and have another one with lunch, and the whole pan lasts almost a week.  

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Try some healthy cookie recipes.

Christmas is the perfect time for baking cookies, but all that sugar loves to go straight to our stomachs and thighs. Instead, here are some great online healthy recipes for Christmas cookies:

Food Network

Better Homes and Gardens

Eatingwell.com

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Snack more.

Although we typically eat about three meals per day, most nutrition experts advise that it’s better to snack on-and-off throughout the day instead of having three big meals. That way, we aren’t waiting until we are extremely hungry to have a meal and then end up over-eating. Try eating a few healthy snacks during the day such as Greek yogurt, fruit, low-calorie crackers or celery with peanut butter. These will help maintain a lower appetite when it comes time for a meal and allow you to periodically burn off what you are eating during the day.